What I think is that Phoenix was speaking metaphorically, he said "If you go and pick up futurecurrents dropped rifle and keep heading my way don't be surprised if I send few few rounds aimed at your head." That is a metaphor meaning if you pick up the failed argument utilized by futurecurrents don't be surprised if it fails for you as well and that you are damaged in the process. I *know* you are aware that it was a metaphor. I've mentioned before that I think you play people off against each other and you haven't stopped doing it since you've gotten here. You are extremely intelligent and you've probably been able to do that effectively since you were a kid. But don't expect to be able to pull off that magic with me. Don't feel bad, I've frustrated hypnotists, polygraph operators and legions of women my whole life by being impossible to read or manipulate. Its a somewhat brutal observation, please don't be offended by it. Fwiw I've taken you off ignore and am attemtping to figure out how to get along with you.
OK, well thanks. Not easily offended, even though I do disagree that I purposely try to play people against each other. I can understand how it may be taken that way, but the truth is that I try more to help others see the other side of a discussion. If manipulation were my goal, then it would be way too easy, almost Pavlovian in nature. When dealing with extreme biases, the triggers are simple no-brainers. Seeing the consternation that results when debates turn to name calling and the like, is well, just something I would like to change. Knowing full well, I am not going to achieve this change most of the time, because then stubbornness seems to set in. I appreciate your candor and civility, and only wish others were the same. And, yes, I'm not too concerned about bullets flying around me. And, thank you again. c
We have an impossible situation. Allowing Iran to build nuclear weapons is obviously unacceptable, given their record of supporting terrorism and open calls to destroy Israel. Attacking Iran is equally unacceptable. It will only delay their acquisition of nuclear weapons and will turn the vast majority of Iranians against us and into solidarity with their evil leaders. What we should have been doing is arming and funding insurrectionist groups within Iran, kind of like al qaeda and other islamist groups did with Egypt, libya and Syria. Once there is an open rebellion, we can side with them and decalre no-fly zones, etc.
That was the plan in Desert Storm, 1991. We supported the rebels, lied to them that we would hang out to help them, and viola, we left them to die under Saddam's tyranny. I doubt the Iranians would fall for the same crap. Of course, we had to go back to Iraq and screw up another whole generation of people in a civil war that cannot be won. c